Wisconsin Dells and other resorts

This week the second-year students worked on an exercise about a lifeguard at a waterpark in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin, USA. The Wisconsin Dells is a natural feature on the Wisconsin River, a canyon at the river narrows with beautiful rocks formations carved by millions of years of running water. Wisconsin Dells, WI, is a town near the Dells. Wisconsin Dells is a family resort town, full of people during the summer tourist season, and especially known for its water parks. I visited the Dells as a little girl in - eep - 1976. That was before water parks were invented!

Does spending your summer vacation visiting water parks sound like your idea of heaven? Or maybe you prefer seeing a new city, or travelling where most tourists fear to tread?

A Shooting in Arizona

On Saturday, eighteen people were shot outside a supermarket in Tucson, Arizona. Six were killed. One of the dead was a nine-year-old girl named Christina Green. The main target was Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, who represents the southern part of Arizona in Congress. (You may also see her called Representative Giffords. Both are correct.) She had come to the supermarket to talk to voters.

There are many stories in the media about this tragedy. There are also many rumors! This article from the BBC lists what we know about what happened. If you find that difficult to read, there is a simpler version on Newsround, the BBC's news service for younger readers.

Please feel free to write your thoughts about this shooting in the comments.

Open Thread for Week One

Here's an open thread for the first week back to school! Here you can say anything you want about what happened in English class this week.

Wakko's 50 State Capitols

First-years, you made some great posters in class on Thursday! Would you like to learn more about what you would find in the fifty US states? This link takes you a map of the US, with clickable links to the tourist office for each state. Even North Dakota wants tourists to come visit!
Each state has a capital, of course. Children in US schools are often told to learn the names of all the states and their capitals. This is a song about them from a cartoon called the Animaniacs. (Wakko is right: Maryland clam chowder is wonderful! Though I miss their crabcakes more.)